Ch 78 : Mirajane's melancholy

"Do I... like that guy, Noel?"

Mirajane sat alone in a corner of the guild, absentmindedly poking at the cup of water in front of her with her finger.

Last night, Lisanna concluded that the strange feelings Mirajane was experiencing meant that she liked Noel.

What a joke! She would never... She wouldn't...

But if that wasn't the case, then why did she feel this way?

Why did she feel so upset when she saw Noel with other girls?

Why did she feel restless when she was with him?

Her gaze shifted, and she saw Noel talking with Erza.

"Mm, you're overestimating the power of armor. After all, armor is just a tool for battle. It's the person wearing it that makes the difference. I think for the next period of time, you should focus more on honing your personal combat skills."

"I see. Lately, I've been neglecting my practice. Noel, would you be willing to be my sparring partner for a while? You're quite skilled in this area, aren't you?"

Mirajane frowned, that familiar feeling of displeasure rising in her chest again.

(What's so good about that armored girl? She's always so close to him. Noel, that idiot.)

Standing up, she walked over and grabbed the collar of a certain golden-haired boy from behind, decisively dragging Noel away from Erza.

"Ah, Mira, what's going on?" Noel suddenly felt his collar grabbed from behind, and when he turned around, he saw Mirajane's face clearly displaying the words "I'm annoyed."

Mirajane let go of his collar and turned her head away from him, saying, "It's nothing. I'm just annoyed. Why are you always hanging out with that armored girl?"

Before Noel could respond, Erza's face immediately darkened. "Mirajane, you white-haired girl, do you want to start a fight?"

"Who are you calling a white-haired girl? You red-haired girl!"

"...Can you two not fight for one day?" Seeing this familiar scene unfold again, Noel rubbed his forehead, his tone full of helplessness.

"Anyway, flat-chested girl, me talking to Noel has nothing to do with you."

"What did you say? Stiff girl! How could it not matter?!"

"Hm? Then go ahead, tell me what connection it has."

"Well..."

Suddenly, just as Mirajane was at a loss for words, an energetic voice interrupted, drawing the attention of everyone, including Erza.

Everyone then saw Natsu running in with an egg almost as large as himself, proudly showing it off to everyone.

"Where did you find such a big egg?" Makarov looked at the egg in Natsu's hands, comparing it to all the monster eggs he could think of, but still had no clue.

"I found it in the forest to the east," Natsu replied excitedly.

"The forest to the east? There don't seem to be any creatures there that could lay an egg that big," Noel said after thinking for a moment.

Seeing that everyone's attention was now focused on the egg in Natsu's hands, Mirajane subtly breathed a sigh of relief, but for the first time, she realized something in her heart.

I really like Noel?

Mirajane tilted her head slightly, discreetly glancing at Noel's side profile.

The beautiful curve of his smile at the corner of his lips had an unexpected charm.

His handsome face, with those pure blue eyes as deep and distant as the sky, seemed to emit a soft glow.

His golden hair, naturally falling in place, was surprisingly smooth.

As she looked at Noel at that moment, Mirajane's face unknowingly turned red.

Suddenly, a strong thought surged in her heart: she wanted to see his clear blue eyes reflect her image, wanted his hand to gently touch her hair, and wanted to see him smile helplessly when she threw a tantrum.

Mirajane suddenly understood.

The reason she had been constantly arguing with Erza wasn't just because she wanted to defeat her, but more because of jealousy—jealousy of the bond between Erza and Noel.

She had often sought out Noel's attention for no reason at all, and it was because she wanted to catch his eye.

Mirajane felt her cheeks burning, but strangely, her heart was filled with happiness.

(So, what should I do? Should I just tell Noel directly? How could I possibly say that? Damn it, maybe I could ask someone else for help… Ugh, that's not right either. I can't ask anyone for something like this, can I?)

Lost in her thoughts, Mirajane didn't notice a middle-aged man in the corner of the guild staring at her actions.

His eyes were gleaming with intrigue.

This middle-aged man was none other than the guild master, Makarov's only son—Ivan.

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"Although I say it, I like Noel, but what exactly am I to him? Where do I stand in his heart?"

In the eastern forest of Magnolia, Mirajane sat on a stone by the river, staring blankly at the flowing water.

It was clear to everyone in the guild that Noel was very kind to everyone, but because he was so kind, it was hard to tell his feelings or preferences from his outward behavior.

Mirajane was feeling very conflicted.

Although she had already recognized her feelings for Noel, she was now troubled by something else: she had no idea where she stood in Noel's heart or what impression she left on him.

"Does Noel prefer women like Erza? But I can't just ask him directly. And Erza, isn't she the one Noel brought to the guild? Also... Erza seems to be interested in Noel..."

Her thoughts tangled up like a ball of yarn with no end, trapping the young girl who had just fallen into the river of love in a cycle of worry.

"Hey! Mira." A middle-aged male voice interrupted her thoughts.

Mirajane turned around and saw Ivan, with a scruffy beard, looking somewhat comical.

"It's you, Ivan," Mirajane said.

"Can I guess what you're thinking right now, Mira? Are you really curious about what Noel thinks of you? Are you wondering who's more important to him— you or Erza?" Ivan asked with a smile.

"You... what are you talking about? Nonsense," Mirajane replied, her voice stammering as she felt her thoughts were exposed.

"There's no need to hide it anymore. After all, I've been through this kind of thing, and I have a way to help you!" Ivan said with a smile.

"You have a way?" Mirajane asked hurriedly, her tone showing no attempt to hide her urgency.

Seeing Mirajane's reaction, Ivan's lips curled into a sly smile.

"I know the location of an ancient magical array. When activated, it can make the person standing within it unconsciously speak their true thoughts. And the best part is that the person won't remember anything afterward. If you get Noel to stand in that magic circle, you can ask him anything without any worries. Isn't that great?"

"But... this seems a little wrong, using magic..." Mirajane hesitated.

"Don't worry, you're just trying to find out your position in Noel's heart, you're not doing anything bad," Ivan said with a reassuring smile.

"Well... that makes sense. I'm not doing anything bad... I understand now. Thank you, Ivan." Mirajane nodded after a moment of thought.

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